Shutter assembly



April 19, 1966 D. R. CRUMB SHUTTER ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 10, 1963 IN VEN'TOR. 034176 1%? UK 7 ATTORNY 3,246,495 SHUTTER ASSEMBLY Duane R. Crumb, Webster,N.Y., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 307,921 Claims. (Cl. 70455) This invention relates to lock mechanisms and more particularly to a shutter assembly for a lock mechanism.

One feature of this invention is that it provides a shutter assembly including an apertured shutter member movable between a first position wherein it blocks access to a lock mechanism key slot and a second position wherein it permits access to the'lock mechanism key slot through the aperture therein. Another feature of this invention is that the shutter member is normally biased to its first position and detent means are provided for releasably holding the shutter member in its second position. A further feature of this invention is that the detent means holding the shutter member in is second position are released by a key inserted through the aperture in the shutter member into the lock mechanism key slot. Yet another feature of this invention is that the shutter member includes means engageable by the key to move the shutter member from its first position to its second position.

These and other features of the shutter assembly of this invention will be readily apparent from the following- FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the detent means in released position; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a vehicle body includes a front door 12 which is hinged at its forward edge 14 to the body for movement between open and closed positions with respect thereto. .Door 12 is held in closed position by a conventional door lock which, when in unlocked condition, may be released from the exterior of 'the body by means of a push button assembly 16 incorporated in an outside door handle 18. The door lock may be placed in either locked or unlocked condition from the exterior of the body by a conventional key actuated lock mechanism 20, FIGURE 2, which is mounted within the door 12 as will be further described. A shutter assembly 22 according to this invention is provided to either cover the lock mechanism 20 and prevent access thereto or to permit access thereto so that the lock mechanism may be actuated to in turn place the door lock in either locked or unlocked condition.

Referring now particularly to FIGURES 2 and 5 of the drawings, assembly 22 includes a support or housing 24 having a pair of return bent flanges 26 which bear against the outer panel 28 of door 12 and are suitably secured therethrough in order to mount the housing 24 within the door 12. Flanges 30 of the housing are located in spaced relationship to the flanges 26 and define therewith a pair of oppositely opening guides or tracks which receive the opposite edge portions of a shutter member 32 in order to mount the shutter member within the door 12 for reciprocation in vertical directions relative thereto. The outer panel 28 of the door is provided with a circular opening 34 which is bounded by an escutcheon 36 to provide access through the outer panel 28 to the key slot of the lock mechanism 20. The lock mechanism is supported Within the door 12 in spaced relationship to the panel 28 by a support member 40 which is secured at 42 to the base of the housing 24. The shutter member 32 is movable between a first position, as shown in full lines in FIGURE 2, wherein it covers the escutcheon 36 to block access to the key slot of the lock mechanism and a second position, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2 and full lines in FIGURES 3 and 4, wherein a circular opening 44 of the shutter memberis adapted to be aligned with the opening of the escutcheon to allow insertion of a suitable key into the key slot of the lock mechanism to thereby actuate the lock mechanism and in turn place the door lock in either locked or unlocked condition.

A pair of tension springs 46 are hooked between tabs 48 of the shutter member and tabs 50 of the housing 24 to normally bias the shutter member to its first position wherein the shutter member blocks access to the key slot of the lock mechanism.

The outer panel 28 of the door further includes an elongated opening 52 which is located below the opening 34 and is bounded by a suitable escutcheon 54. The shutter member includes an integral shoulder 56 movable within the escutcheon and located adjacent the lower edge thereof as shown in full lines in FIGURE 2 when the shutter member is in its first position and located adjacent the upper edge thereof, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2, when the shutter member is in its second position.

In order to move the shutter member from its first position to its second position, the operator engages the point of the key 58 under the shoulder 56 and then lifts position, as shown in dash lines in FIGURE 2. As the shutter member moves to its second position, a lanced tab 60 thereof engages an offset tab 62 of a spring finger 64 to cam the spring finger inwardly of the door and towards the lock mechanism 20 until the tab 60 moves past the spring finger, whereupon the olfset tab 62 will engage underneath the tab 60 as shown in FIGURE 3 to maintain the shutter member in its second position against the action of the springs 46. The spring finger 64 is secured at 66 to the member 40 and includes a central aperture 68 Which is aligned with the key slot of the lock mechanism.

When the-shutter member is in its second position as shown in FIGURE 3, the aperture 44 thereof will be aligned with the opening of the escutcheon so that the operator can then insert the key 58 through the escutcheon and the apertures 44 and 68 into the key slot of the lock mechanism. When the key 58 is partially inserted into the lock mechanism, it will be located as shown in FIG- URE 3, and upon further insertion of the key within the lock mechanism, the usual shoulder 70 of the key will engage the upper edge portion of the aperture 68 in the spring finger 64 to move the spring finger inwardly of the door and out of engagement with the tab 60 so that the springs 46 will thereupon shift the shutter member downwardly until the shutter member engages the key as shown in FIGURE 4. Since the springs 46 are of very light force the key 58 can thereafter be turned to actuate the lock mechanism without interference.

When the key 58 is withdrawn from the lock mechanism the springs 46 will automatically return the shutter member to its first position wherein it closes the opening of the escutcheon which affords access to the key slot of the lock mechanism.

It is well known to mount the lock mechanisms on the door outer panel so that the key slots thereof open outwardly of this panel. conventionally the lock mechanisms are provided with pivoted shutter assemblies to close the opening to the key slots thereof when a key is not inserted therein. Such shutter assemblies have the Patented Apr. 19, 1966 disadvantage of being subject to ambient weather conditions so that they are often frozen against opening movement and they also have the disadvantage of sometimes permitting .Water to enter the lock mechanism to freeze the various parts thereof so that the lock mechanism cannot be actuated.

The shutter assembly of this invention permits the lock mechanism to be mounted inwardly of the door outer panel so that the key slot thereof is not subject ambient Weather conditions and it also automatically closes the opening to the key slot when the key is not inserted through the shutter assembly into the lock mechanism. Further, the shutter member is vertically movable so that any water which might enter through the openings of the escutcheons is not likely to collect between the shutter member and its housing so that the shutter member is substantially freeze proof.

Thus, this invention provides an improved shutter assembly for a lock mechanism.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination comprising, an apertured support member, a lock mechanism mounted on said support member and having a key slot opening to the aperture of said support member, an apertured shutter member, means mounting said shutter member on said support member'for movement between a first position wherein said shutter member closes the opening in said support member to block access to said lock mechanism key slot and a second position wherein said shutter member aperture is generally aligned with said support member aperture to allow insertion of a key therethrough and into said lock mechanism key slot to actuate said mechanism, means biasing said shutter member to said first position thereof, detent means holding said shutter member in said second position against the action of said biasing means, and means releasing said detent means upon insertion of a key within said key slot.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said detent means including a shoulder on said shutter member and a resilient member on said support member located in the path of movement of said shoulder, said shoulder being movable past said resilient member and being held in engagement therewith by said biasing means upon movement of said shutter member from said first position thereof to said second position thereof.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said releasing means includes cooperating engageable means on said resilient means and said key for movement of said resilient member out of engagement with said shoulder upon insertion of said key within said slot, removal of said key permitting said biasing means to move said shutter member to said first position thereof.

4. The combination comprising, an apertured support member, a lock mechanism mounted on said support member and having a key slot opening to the aperture of said mechanism key slot to actuate said mechanism, means biasing said shutter member to said first position thereof, detent means holding said shutter member in said second position against the action of said biasing means, and means releasing said detent means upon insertion of a key within said key slot, said releasing means including cooperating means on the key and said detent means operable upon full insertion of the key within said lock mechanism key slot.

5. The combination comprising, an apertured support member, a lock mechanism mounted on said support member and having a key slot opening to the aperture of said support member, an apertured shutter plate, guide means mounting said shutter plate on said support member for movement transversely of said lock mechanism between a first position wherein said shutter plate closes the opening in said support member to block access to said lock mechanism key slot and a second position wherein said shutter plate aperture is generally aligned with said support member aperture to allow insertion of a key'therethrough and into said lock mechanism key slot to actuate said mechanism, resilient means biasing said plate to said first position thereof, apertured spring finger means mounted on said support member, shoulder means on said plate moving in the path of said spring finger References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 355,421 1/1887 Stoddard 423 845,019 2/1907 Voight 70-427 850,446 4/1907 Robbins 70-427 952,643 3/1910 Roche 70455 1,378,918 5/1921 Tomaszewski 70423 PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Primary Examiner.

ALBERT H. KAMPE, Examiner.

P. TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, AN APERTURED SUPPORT MEMBER, A LOCK MECHANISM MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND HAVING A KEY SLOT OPENING TO THE APERTURE OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, AN APERTURED SHUTTER MEMBER, MEANS MOUNTING SAID SHUTTER MEMBER ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN SAID SHUTTER MEMBER CLOSES THE OPENING IN SAID SUPPORT MEMBER TO BLOCK ACCESS TO SAID LOCK MECHANISM KEY SLOT AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN SAID SHUTTER MEMBER APERTURE IS GENERALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID SUPPORT MEMBER APERTURE TO ALLOW INSERTION OF A KEY THERETHROUGH AND INTO SAID LOCK MECHANISM KEY SLOT TO ACTUATE SAID MECHANISM, MEANS BIASING SAID SHUTTER MEMBER TO SAID FIRST POSITION THEREOF, DETENT MEANS HOLDING SAID SHUTTER MEMBER IN SAID SECOND POSITION AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID BIASING MEANS, AND MEANS RELEASING SAID DETENT MEANS UPON INSERTION OF A KEY WITHIN SAID KEY SLOT. 